Review: The Mademoiselle Alliance

Title: The Mademoiselle Alliance 

Author: Natasha Lester

Publisher: 26th March 2025 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 450 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction | WW2

Synopsis:

How did a young Parisienne mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in France? A powerful, heartbreaking historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author

Morocco, 1928. Eighteen-year-old Frenchwoman Marie-Madeleine is not the kind of woman who goes through life sitting down, something her new husband can attest. Her unconventionalities - rally car driving, flying planes and dabbling in intelligence work for the government - earn her a reputation, but she knows who she is as an adventurer.

Paris, 1938. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, a chance encounter with a mysterious man codenamed Navarre turns Marie-Madeleine's life upside down. Recruited to help build a resistance network known only as Alliance, she conceals her identity - and gender - as she navigates a perilous double life away from her children and the man she loves. Capture and death are only a heartbeat away.

Bestselling Australian novelist Natasha Lester passionately brings to life the true story of one of history's unsung Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only woman to lead a resistance network in WWII France. Her story is one of epic love, tragic loss and magnificent leadership.

My Thoughts

If you follow my reviews you know Natasha Lester is an auto buy for me, so get ready for this week her new book is about to be released ... and yes ... it is another five star read! I applaud Natasha once more as she flies the flag for these incredible women from history who so deserve their story to be told. This time we follow along with Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only woman to lead a resistance network in France during the Second World War. 

'My place is the air, the void, the very edges of existence. And from that place, I manage 3,000 agents, the only network that covers the whole of France'.

Truly an incredibly inspiring woman, Marie-Madeleine helped France and the allies win the war putting her country first above all else. Natasha truly captures not only the time and place but more importantly the voice of the many who battled the Nazis. She brings to life Marie-Madeleine as a resistance fighter, as a leader, as a mother and as a woman in a man’s world. The risks and sacrifices that these heroic people undertook for the love of what was right and just is heart wrenching. Love and loss, bravery and brutality all come together in this fight against tyranny. 

“These women will set the world ablaze. And from their courage, a better one will rise. We have to let them.”

Fans of Natasha will not be disappointed with this latest addition. For all historical fiction buffs this is a story you simply must read for its passion and power, for its inspiring and informative detail. A masterclass in beautifully crafted writing of an incredible tale.  

“What’s happened in Alliance is extraordinary. I don’t know if ever again in history there’ll be another woman like you, Marie-Madeleine.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

 

Review: The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard

Title: The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard

Author: Natasha Lester

Publisher: 27th September 2023 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 425 pages

Genre: historical fiction, mystery

Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

History said she was just a man's muse. History was wrong. The exquisite new novel from bestselling author Natasha Lester.

In November 1973, a fashion legend vanished, leaving behind only a white silk dress and the what really happened to Astrid Bricard?

Paris, 1917: Parentless sixteen-year-old Mizza Bricard makes a to be remembered on her own terms. This promise drives her and her designs through the most exclusive couture houses in France until, finally, a legend is created - one that will endure for generations to come, but not the one she wanted.

New York, 1970: Designer Astrid Bricard arrives in bohemian Chelsea ready to change the fashion world. And she does - but cast in the role of muse to her lover, Hawk Jones. Just as Astrid's star is finally poised to ascend in its own right, she mysteriously disappears, leaving her family in tatters and perpetuating the infamous Bricard family myth.

French Countryside , Present Blythe Bricard is the daughter of fashion's most infamous 70s power couple, but she turned her back on that world, and her passion for it, years ago. Fate, however, has other plans, and in a chateau over a whirlwind couple of weeks, Blythe will discover there is more to her iconic mother and grandmother - and herself - than she ever knew.

These three generations now have one chance to prove themselves. Can the women of the Bricard fashion dynasty finally rewrite their history?

My Thoughts

Natasha Lester books have all been five star reads for me. So it was with great anticipation that I took up her latest novel, The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. Yet again Natasha has floored me with her storytelling, almost to the point of speechlessness. Where to start with a read that was so powerful, so raw and intense, taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride of emotion. This book consumed me as it is astoundingly told from three viewpoints, three generations of Bricard women, over multiple decades. Unbelievable.

‘.. she starts to emerge from something she hadn't realised she'd been buried in. It's funny how, only when a little light comes in do you understand you've become so used to darkness that you've forgotten stars exist.’

This novel is so powerful and beautifully written, each and every character brings something to the story. Through pain and loss, sacrifice and sorrow Natasha takes you on a journey where seemingly impossible decisions will have to be made with the ramifications transcending through the years to come. Exploring the lives of Mizza, Astrid and Blythe Bricard who were famous … or was it infamous? Are the stories really true? Is it a myth or the media playing sensationalism? Or, more to the point, is it the stories these women are telling themselves that has lost its focus and reliability?

‘She wants things to be different … (she) also wants them to be right, as if she believes the truth time has left them with is the one that was easiest to assemble - as if there's another account out there of lost facts that could be reconstructed if someone cared enough.’

This is also a story of gender inequality, yes in the fashion industry, but can easily be woven through broader society. Three generations of women who were made to feel so much less than their ridiculous abilities would allow for. Uniquely, it was the men closest to them who were supportive and the power of the media and social constructs that were unaccepting of these women. 

‘This man couldn't possibly imagine how good that would feel for a woman - to truly be powerful. But it's what Astrid dreams of, and the smile that settles onto her face as she walks away is both her stay and her strength - but not her undoing.’

How delightful to also have appearances from characters in Natasha’s past novels. Remy from The Riviera House and Alix from The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre are important components to this story. For me, it was such a thrill to have those connections made. But, I mean think about it for a minute …. three timelines/narratives, past characters - how does Natasha do it? This is truly a masterpiece of writing. The balance Natasha strikes and the links made between chapters and events are mind-blowing.

‘… the world is only half of what it could be when power is defined as someone losing something and when women are merely the beautiful and the damned.’

Do yourself a favour and walk the tunnels of Paris with Mizza in war torn France, embrace all the glitz and glamour with Astrid in the 1970s and finally, start putting all the pieces together with Blythe in the present day. I challenge you not to be shocked as secrets are revealed at just the right points throughout the story, or feel triumphant when your heartfelt hopes are realised. This is historical fiction, indeed storytelling, at its finest. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from Better Reading in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

Review: The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre

Title: The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre

Author: Natasha Lester

Publisher: 28th September 2022 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 432 pages

Genre: historical fiction, WWII

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A compelling and lavish novel from the NYT bestselling author about a young woman striving to forget her part in the war by building life anew as the publicist at the just-launching House of Dior in Paris

1943. After spearheading several successful advertising campaigns in New York, PR wizard Alix St Pierre comes to the attention of the US hgovernment and finds herself recruited into a fledgling intelligence organisation.

Enlisted as a spy, Alix is sent to Europe where she is tasked with getting close to a Nazi who might be willing to help the Allied forces - but there's also the chance he might be a double agent.

1946. Following the war, Alix moves to Paris to run the Service de la Presse for the yet-to-be-launched House of Christian Dior. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realises that only she can right the wrongs of the past and bring him to justice.

The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre is a thrilling, sumptuous work of historical fiction told in three timelines: before, during and after WWII. This completely immersive story takes readers from the dangerous, intrigue-filled rooms in Switzerland where elites of both sides mingled and schemed during the war, to the glamorous halls of the House of Dior in the golden age of French fashion and journalism.

My Thoughts

“There was one brief and shining moment, wasn't there, when it looked like the world would change. For four years we spied and we worked damn hard and we saved people's lives and we made a difference and nobody cared too much that we were women. And then it all ended. Went backwards, even.” ….. "We mattered for a bit, didn't we? Alix said, unable to prevent nostalgia making her voice heavy.”

Honesty from the outset: I am a HUGE fan of Natasha’s and beginning to believe she can do no wrong. I have read and loved everything she has written, always filled with anticipation for her annual release. I am happy to say that The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre is a most worthy addition to her already stellar line up. 

There is a bit of everything in her latest offering - balls and romance, fashion and careers for women, spies and danger. To me, the quality of Natasha’s prose levels up with each new novel she gives her readers. This, more than likely, is a result of the incredible research she undertakes that allows details to be brought to life. Her words literally sing off the page. 

‘…they'd shared both the most awful and beautiful things: spectacular orbs of light within the darkness. It was why some journeys were better not taken alone; sometimes you needed another person to help you find the single star hidden in the storm.’

The story of Alix is presented in three timelines (thus the title) - before, during and after WWII - and it makes for enthralling reading as you witness her development and growth over such a tumultuous period in history. A story starting with loss and innocence, to bravery and sacrifice, to finally new beginnings through fashion and resolution. From orphan girl, to WWII spy, to the marketing genius for the emerging fashionista, Dior - Alix leads an incredible life. 

‘For just a minute, Alix could see the girl from ten years before with red-gold hair and an exuberant smile. Could also see a woman with damp green eyes and an aching heart. But the Alix crossing the bridge now felt like a different one, a third Alix perhaps, made up of the other two but also of so much more.’

The range of secondary characters must be seen to be believed, especially those seeking revenge for the terrible injustices both during and after WWII. The Dior couture is a definite highlight that will see you checking out Natasha’s social media as she keeps her readers well informed with details and imagery to make the reading experience more immersive. The romance meter is off the page with a slow burn that would surely make the record books. All so seamlessly woven together thus allowing the reader to lose themself in the most exhilarating of tales. 

‘… the tears slide down her cheeks anyway - useless tears because there is no physical human response that can possibly express the pain she feels at him asking her to be the custodian of his soul.’

Natasha’s writing leaves me speechless as she masterfully crafts ideas, research and writing to annually provide her readers with incredible historical fiction. Prose that speaks to my heart; plots that are compelling right down to the very last page and many unforgettable characters to add to the ever growing Lester List Hall of Fame!

‘I sometimes wonder, … what I'll regret more when I'm seventy and alone. Will I regret the aloneness, the lack of a husband and children - will I want to reach into the past and tell myself …acquiesce to the life I'm supposed to have? Or will I … want to stand in the doorway and scream at myself right now to never, ever acquiesce? …. How can I know what I'd treasure most when some of those treasures have never found their way into my hands?’

The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre is simply a must read for lovers of this genre - romance interwoven with a great spy mystery, with an incredible nod to the empowerment of women through the ages. I regret powering through this book as I must now wait another twelve months for more from one of the best historical fiction writers of today. 

‘Because she supposed that was all there was in the end. The effort you made to let events shape you and coerce you down a path, or the effort you made to shape yourself and steer yourself in spite of what happened.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Riviera House

Title: The Riviera House

Author: Natasha Lester 

Publisher: 1st September 2021 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 434 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, women’s fiction, World War II, romance

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Paris, 1939: The Nazis think Éliane can't understand German. They’re wrong. They think she’s merely cataloging art in a Louvre museum and unaware they’re stealing national treasures for their private collections. They have no idea she’s carefully decoding their notes and smuggling information to the Resistance. But Éliane is playing a dangerous game. Does she dare trust the man she once loved with her secrets, or will he only betray her once again? She has no way to know for certain . . . until a trip to a stunning home on the French Riviera brings a whole new level of peril.

 

Present Day: Wanting to forget the tragedy that has left her life in shambles, Remy Lang heads to a home she’s mysteriously inherited on the Riviera. While working on her vintage fashion business, she discovers a catalog of the artworks stolen during World War II and is shocked to see a painting that hung on her childhood bedroom wall. Who is her family, really? And does the Riviera house hold more secrets than Remy is ready to face?

My Thoughts

‘Without art, we’re not truly alive. Take away all the musical instruments and the songs and the sculptures and the books and the sketches and the paintings and it's like taking away food. Nobody would survive.’  

Natasha Lester continues to produce spellbinding tale after spellbinding tale. Here again she delivers with another historical showstopper - a dual time narrative that will have you on the edge of your seat until you finally, and regrettably, turn the last page. If you have never read a Natasha Lester book (historical fiction fan or not) then I am here to tell you, you are missing out. I have loved everything she has written and her latest, ‘The Riviera House’ is no exception.

For her latest lavish escapade, Natasha transports her readers back to when the Nazis were categorically undertaking major art theft during WWII and where brave Resistance fighters risked much to try and preserve and keep safe remarkable works of art. I cannot even begin to imagine the ENORMOUS amount of research that Natasha so obviously undertook in the writing of this book. The details are incredible as once again her artistic weaving of both facts curated around a fictional tale is sublime and leaves the reader in no doubt … no doubt whatsoever … that Natasha is a phenomenal writer of historical fiction. 

To be treated to a dual time narrative is exciting and with each of her novels I continue to be gobsmacked at how cleverly Natasha lays the foundation for both tales knowing that, eventually, they will intertwine and leave her readers in awe. Her storytelling ability is next level, whether you are in war-torn Paris or basking in the sun on the French Riviera, you get all the ‘feels’ through Natasha’s writing. To open a page of Natasha’s book is to be transported back in time or stepping into the shoes of the internal struggles Remy faces in the present day. There are moments where Natasha has you feeling the depths of hunger or the pain from chilblains, where characters are cutting up clothes for repurposing or laying in front of the fireplace in a vintage gown, Natasha takes you there. 

If it were at all possible I would give this book more than five stars as it is so heartbreakingly beautiful. I have to hold myself back from rushing to consume it all in one sit, devouring prose as one would refreshment on a hot day. Natasha will always spoil her readers through her love of fashion and vintage clothing which is once again on display. This time, of course, there is focus on some incredible works of art and any story that has you rushing to visually see for yourself through Google is well done. I am not referring here to not only the likes of the Mona Lisa,  but also The Astronomer by Vermeer or the enchanting village of Eze on the French Riviera.  

‘Art is the daughter of freedom … When we stood together watching the Winged Victory we were all connected by something beyond ourselves. Art is all we have when words fail us, when mankind fails us and when we each fail each other. If we don’t save these works, we can’t save ourselves.’

This novel is so powerful and beautifully written, each and every character brings something to the story. Through pain and loss, sacrifice and sorrow Natasha takes you on a journey where seemingly impossible decisions will have to be made with the ramifications transcending through the years to come. 

Do yourself a favour, walk the streets of Paris with Eliane in war torn France, then start putting all the pieces together with Remy in the present day. I challenge you not to be shocked as secrets are revealed at just the right points throughout the story, or feel triumphant when your heartfelt hopes are realised. This is historical fiction, indeed storytelling, at its finest. I simply cannot wait to see what Natasha will come up with next as she is now an author one buys without even turning to read the book blurb - she is that good. 

‘Love is watching me go and saying nothing, doing nothing.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Paris Secret

Title: The Paris Secret

Author: Natasha Lester

Publisher: 31st March 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 464 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A wardrobe of Dior gowns, a secret kept for sixty-five years, and the three women bound forever by war... from the New York Times bestselling author of The French Photographer

England, 1939 Talented pilot Skye Penrose joins the British war effort where she encounters her estranged sister, Liberty, and childhood soulmate Nicholas Crawford, now engaged to enigmatic Frenchwoman Margaux Jourdan.

Paris, 1947 Designer Christian Dior unveils his extravagant first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance, Miss Dior, in tribute to his sister, Catherine, who worked for the French Resistance.

Present day Australian fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a secret wardrobe filled with priceless Dior gowns in her grandmother's vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother.

An unspeakable betrayal will entwine all of their fates.

The Dior Secret is an unforgettable story about the lengths people go to protect one another, and a love that, despite everything, lasts a lifetime.

My Thoughts

Natasha Lester continues to produce spellbinding tale after spellbinding tale. Once more she delivers with another historical showpiece, a dual time narrative that will have you on the edge of your seat until you finally, and regrettably, turn the last page. If you have never read a Natasha Lester book (historical fiction fan or not) then you are missing out. I have loved everything she has written and her latest, ‘The Paris Secret’ is no exception. 

‘She wished it were that simple; that a life could be changed in the same way words in a book could be recast into a different version, a better version. A happy ever after.’

Where does one start in trying to encapsulate all that is ‘The Paris Secret’? It is a tale of family, a tale of war and a tale of love. There are multiple locations - Paris, Cornwall, Australia and concentration camps. There are timelines from pre war, during war (WWII) and post war. There are secrets and sacrifices. There is an array of characters .... but all of it .... ALL OF IT is wound together so seamlessly and perfectly to produce an amazingly poetic tapestry of storytelling. You will read the story, then reread the story, never wanting it to end making it a perfect example of masterclass writing. The amount of research undertaken, as so much of it is based on fact, is to be applauded. The Author’s Note at the end testifies to that. 

At its heart is a tale of the extent people go to to protect those they love. You cannot help but be moved by the  way Natasha magically weaves love, loss and longevity throughout this tale. Come the end of the book you will be filled with such an array of emotions, truly feeling at a loss for all that has been played out. Your heart will break for more than one character in this wonderful tale with a climactic but befitting ending. 

Am I gushing? Yes I am. Natasha is an amazing author with her words lingering on long after you have turned the final page. She is a delightful author, so accessible on social media and so very humble. Thank you for your storytelling .... never doubt that you are an incredibly talented writer and congratulations on producing and sharing the amazing tale that is, The Paris Secret.

‘He wanted to tear the moon from the sky and extinguish it in the sea so she wouldn’t see the agony on his face. ‘I was just ... ' he started to say. Just trying to do the right thing. The right thing in a wrong world.  A world he alone couldn’t change.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.